This year is the Regatta’s 15^th year, and it is known to be one of the most stunning yachting events in the world. It is South Asia’s most popular boating event and brings in people from all corners of the earth. This year it is said that 40 to 50 yachts will be in attendance. The main highlight is of course the race, although there is always plenty to do on land as well.

Each night a party is held, and each is held in a completely different place. Phuket’s event will be held on the final night at the Ao Chalong Yacht Club in Chalong Bay. Being the last night of the event means it will most likely be the biggest party of them all with presentations, awards and plenty of fun.

Watching the race itself is also exciting and many do just this, following the yachts from island to island. For a map, more information, or to register for this amazing race go to http://www.acyc-phuket.com/bayregatta.htm.

James Bond Island consists of two forested limestone islands as well as a 30 metre high limestone rock that is just to the west of the islands. The entire sight and its surroundings are spectacular and all visitors will be in awe as soon as the islands come into sight, making for fantastic holiday photos.

It is best to visit James Bond Island on a tour, as it will include all transfers, a guide and lunch. A minivan will leave Phuket and take you to Phang Nga Bay pier where visitors will then board a longtail boat and head out to the islands. Most tours first stop on Koh Panyee for lunch, which is also a beautiful island in the bay. Afterwards the boat will continue on to the stunning main attraction. Some tours will even include kayaks as opposed to the longtail boat, which in my opinion is an added bonus.

No holiday in Phuket should go without a day trip to this amazing attraction. Although it can get a bit over crowded at times it is still well worth it, and is sure to be the highlight of any vacation.

Underwater lovers will thoroughly enjoy a day trip to any of Phuket’s fabulous sites, and there are plenty of dive shops that are eager to book a trip out for you. The best dive sites are Shark Point, Koh Racha Yai and Koh Racha Noi. Racha Yai and Noi is the most popular trip at this time of year and offer some incredible marine life. Racha Noi consists of an 18-metre drop where you will be surrounded by a stunning rock formation and mantas can be seen quite regularly. Racha Yai is surrounded by stunning hard coral that is home to numerous fish including titan tiggerfish, cuttlefish and pufferfish. Those that are lucky may even catch a glimpse of a passing yellowtail barracuda.

Shark Point is also a popular Phuket dive as it is filled with leopard sharks that can be seen on a regular basis. Purple and pink soft coral surround the 3 rocks that make up this site where bannerfish, angelfish and pufferfish can be seen. As well, this site is home to yellow seahorse, moray eels and schools of glassfish.

Beginners all the way up to the most advanced divers can enjoy a day of diving around Phuket, which is sure to result in an incredible, picturesque day.

The park can be found at the very north end of Phuket just over the bridge from Phang Nga province and covers an area of 90 sq. kms that is 76% beach and 24% forest. Nai Yang, Nai Thon and Mai Khao are the beaches found within the park and are arguably the most spectacular on the island, with crystal blue sea and white sand. They are also where some of Phuket’s most luxurious resorts are located. With the forests the government also offers basic bungalows and camping facilities so even those on a budget can enjoy a holiday here.

Casuarina Oak dominates the beach forest and there are plenty of birds that call these massive trees home. The mangrove forest sees evergreen type trees and there is a mixture of both freshwater and seawater here supporting a unique eco-system. There is an 800m wooden walkway for exploring the forest and witnessing its fantastic wildlife.

The entrance fee to visit this magnificent park is 100 Baht for adults and 50 Baht for children. There is a restaurant and a visitor’s centre onsite as well as plenty of free parking.

I love waterfalls, especially those located in the jungle amidst natural rugged scenery. They are extremely calming to me as well as being stunningly beautiful. So I took the opportunity to visit my two favourites in the area, Bang Pae and Tong Sai.

Both of these are located in the eastern part of Phuket in the Khao Phra Thaeo National Park and are surrounded by amazing tropical forest that houses an array of exotic animals and birds and makes for the perfect waterfall setting. Bang Pae is 10-metres high and very impressive and is a nice place for a picnic. I then hiked through the jungle to Tong Sai, as there is a path leading from one to the other. Those less adventurous can drive. Although not as awe-inspiring it is still quite spectacular. Unfortunately the numerous restaurants ruin the appeal a little bit. But for those who did not bring a picnic lunch they make for a nice place to enjoy a meal.

Entrance to the waterfalls is 200 baht per person, which is the National Park fee.

Thalang Road is where these mansions can be found, making for a fantastic afternoon stroll. I started my tour at the east end of Thalang Road at the lovely Tai Hua Museum. The museum was built in 1911 and was originally a Chinese Language School. Now a museum and an exhibition site, this building is open to the public from 9:00 until 15:00 from Tuesday to Sunday.

Next I stopped in at the Phra Pitak Chinpracha Mansion, or in English the Blue Elephant Mansion. It is just west of Tai Hua and is known to be one of the most beautiful homes in all of Phuket. The mansion is privately owned and its interior is not open to the public. However one wing has been turned into a Thai cooking school and restaurant and is a fantastic venue for learning this culinary delight. Next to it is Baan Chinpracha, a great example of Sino-Colonial architecture. The ground floor is open to the public from 9:00 to 16:30 everyday except Sunday, however the upper floor is still lived in by its resident Jaroonat Tandavaniyj.

I ended my tour at the China Inn Café & Restaurant, a mansion that has been turned into a lovely café and souvenir shop. It was a great place to relax and have a cup of tea after my lovely afternoon stroll.

There are three races, the main event that is a 42km race, a mini-marathon at 13kms and a 4.5km ‘fun run’ (or walk) and anyone from the age of 18 and older can participate. The main marathon will start at 06:00 at Sarasin Bridge and will end at the Saphan-Hin municipality office. The winner can expect to receive 24,000 Baht. The mini-marathon will start and end at Saphan-Hin also commencing at 06:00, while the ‘fun run’ will start at 06:30 at Saphan-Hin.

Those wanting to register should go to Saphan-Hin Park on Saturday July 30 at 10:00. There is a dinner open to all runners at 17:00 that evening. This marathon is an excellent event and is a wonderful way to keep fit while on holiday.

The original family that inhabited the island hailed from Indonesia and built the small village on stilts above the water, surrounded by stunning limestone cliffs. The locals are extremely welcoming and if we had the time we would have definitely opted to stay the night, eating delicious fresh seafood and watching the sunset. Bungalows are only around 300 THB a night. The island is extremely beautiful and makes for some great photographs, and the hand crafted souvenirs that the locals sell are well worth bringing home.

It is easy to get here in just 20-minutes by longtail boat from James Bond Island, or you can go directly from Surakul Pier in Phang Nga. Koh Panyee is a Muslim island so I urge all women to please dress appropriately when visiting here.

A visit to temples and Chinese shrines in Phuket is well worth it as Phuket has a mixture of Chinese temples and Buddhist temples because it has a large percentage of Chinese residents who came from Southern China a few centuries ago to work in the Tin mine business as coolies and they brought with them, their rich culture and traditions and these influences are evident in the number of Chinese temples and shrines around the island and they are marked every year with a Vegetarian Festival.

If you set yourself to visit the temples on the island of Phuket, it might take you a full a day but it will be worth it as you will learn to differentiate the Chinese temples and Buddhist temples and as you have already guessed, most of Phuket’s population is Thai- Buddhist and there are close to 40 Buddhist temples (Wat in Thai) located all over the island. Some of the wats are quite new, but most have a long history going back more than 100 years even longer.

Visiting the temples on the island of Phuket is an experience not to be missed as apart from the admiring their beautiful architectural features, visitors to these temples will from a short visit about the strong connection between the Wats and the island’s everyday life.

The few examples of the Buddhist temples include the Wat Pra-nang Sang and the Wat Srisoonthorn in Thalang, Wat Karon and the most famous Wat Chalong in Phuket.

And the examples of the Chinese temples and shrines include Jui Tui, previously located in Soi Romanee and moved to the current location after a fire destroyed it many years ago and now, it plays an important role in the annual Vegetarian festival, Put Jaw, the oldest Chinese Temple in Phuket, Shrine of the Serene light, Bom Kaw Kong Shrine.

If it is your first time in Phuket, why not familiarize yourself with the island on a half a day guided coach your. The major highlights of this half day tour of the island are, a great orientation of Phuket in a half a day, amazing views of Phuket from the Karen look-out, plenty of photo opportunities, friendly and informative guide plus it includes pick up and drop off from your hotel or guest house.

This half a day tour lets you to take in the island beauty as you drive along the beach roads through Patong, Karon, Kata and Rawai beaches and each beach offering a different type of holiday experience and the photo opportunities include the Karon view point and cultural sights such as the sacred Buddhist temple of Phuket Wat Chalong.

Also while on this half a day tour, you will get a chance to see an interesting mix of the Phuket architecture which includes Sino- Portuguese and the town has been the backdrop for many western movies as it is said to be similar to the Indochina.

To book this, you can just find out the details from your hotel or guest house and the pick up is usually at 9.00am but be ready at least 30 minutes before the pick up and it usually takes only about 4 hours from your holiday and it as little as $12.00 per person. So why not try this great experience when in Phuket and you capture great photos and get to know all the things you know about Phuket.